A friend of mine is a sushi connoisseur. Every time we go out to eat, I'm tempted to join him. But so far, I've only tasted what I fondly call "wimpy sushi" -- the vegetarian California rolls and fully cooked shrimp sushi. Maybe someday I'll get braver!

As far as sushi's nutritional value, they're pretty much winners across the board when it comes to calories. 12 pieces of California roll have roughly 361 calories and also provide some beneficial monounsaturated fat from avocado. 12 pieces of salmon roll may have up to 500 calories, but they're so loaded with heart-healthy omega-3's it's a good trade off. 12 pieces of tuna roll have around 450 calories. (All calorie counts may change based on ingredients and preparation, of course.) The sticky rice is refined, so it doesn't offer much nutritional value at all. But the nori (seaweed) is rich in nutrients such as iodine, vitamin A, calcium, and vitamin C.

Pair a plate of sushi with some green tea and you've got a healthy meal. I guess my friend is on to something.

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Everywhere I go, people are talking about this sushi restaurant and that sushi dish they tried where. It seems like Japan's signature dish is now a staple in North America, and I can see why. It's yummy and healthy. But if you're a sushi virgin, going to a sushi restaurant can be fairly intimidating. What's what? And is it even safe to eat raw fish?

Here's a quick guide to sushi -- explaining the difference between Sushi, Sashimi and Nigiri, as well as the history behind the food. Did you know that in Japan, Sushi Chefs often train for a decade before they are qualified to to run their own show? That's longer than most doctors go to school for.

Are you a sushi lover?

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I recently spent over a month travelling with two calorie-conscious girlfriends. During our trip, we ate a lot of sushi because one, it's delicious; two, it's a healthy choice amongst the array of deep-fried and fat-filled offerings that dominate the dining landscape; and three, we were right by the ocean and reveled the opportunity to get fresh seafood. But I can't help but wonder: with all that rice, is sushi really the best choice calorie-wise? It has lots of valuable vitamins and minerals like omega 3s, but if you're watching your waistline, would it be better to choose something else?

Let's investigate. An average sushi meal that we had would consist of a California roll (6 pieces), possibly another roll of something with a bit of pizazz, let's say a shrimp tempura roll (again, 6 pieces), and maybe a serving of edamame if we were really hungry. How many calories and fat would be in this meal? Would it be:

a) 962 cal, 46 g of fat
b) 863 cal, 31 g of fat
c) 555 cal, 26 g of fat
d) 231 cal, 2 g of fat

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Recently, I asked my Naturopathic doctor how I could get more protein in my diet, since I don't eat much meat and have problems digesting tofu and soy. He suggested I try Miso, which despite being made of soybeans is something that will be easier for my body to digest. I've had Miso soup many times, but wasn't aware that I could eat and cook with just plain old Miso. Apparently, it can be used in a number of dishes -- not just soup. It can be a base for stir-frys, in gravy, in desserts ... the list goes on and on. There are even Miso cookbooks.

Miso has a great reputation as a health food and has been attributed to lowering cancer rates, promoting healthy aging, reducing cholesterol levels and much more.

I'm interested to know if you have any great Miso recipes.

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